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Learning not to be impulsive: disruption by experience of alcohol withdrawal

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 17:53 authored by Sophie Walker, Yolanda Pena-OliverYolanda Pena-Oliver, Dai Stephens
RATIONALE There is extensive evidence that alcoholism and impulsivity are related, but the direction of causality is unclear. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present investigation was to study the effects of chronic ethanol treatment and withdrawal in measures of attention and impulse control in the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS C57BL/6J mice were trained in the 5CSRTT and then tested in a variable inter-trial interval (vITI) session, which promotes the emergence of premature responses, a measure of poor inhibitory control. Following chronic ethanol treatment, mice were tested in additional vITI sessions-in experiment 1, at 1, 7 and 14 days post-withdrawal, and in experiment 2, at 14, 28, 42 and 56 days post-withdrawal. RESULTS Control animals showed a reduction in premature responding with experience of the vITI schedule. Compared to controls, previous ethanol treatment did not affect attention or impulsivity on first experience of the vITI procedure. Ethanol-treated animals showed sustained increased premature responding over sessions. This effect of ethanol treatment was not apparent in experiment 2, in which first exposure to the vITI schedule was delayed for 2 weeks following ethanol treatment. CONCLUSIONS Chronic ethanol treatment impaired the ability to learn to modify behaviour in order to gain access to reinforcement more frequently. This effect was related to the time since withdrawal.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Psychopharmacology

ISSN

1432-2072

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Issue

3

Volume

217

Page range

433-42

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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